Yong tofu bee hoon soup with XO chili sauce

Got some leftover yong tofu. Since today is a freezing day, it’s best to have hot soup. I have added bee hoon (rice vermicelli), Malaysian Hakka yong tofu; learned from my dad, bok choy, and must have the XO chili sauce.

Google: “Yong tau foo (simplified Chinese: 酿豆腐; traditional Chinese: 釀豆腐; also spelled yong tao foo, yong tau fu, yong tau hu or yong tofu in Malaysia) is a Hakka Chinese dish made mainly of tofu filled with ground meat or fish paste. There are variations with vegetables and mushrooms instead of tofu. Yong tau foo can be served dry with sauce or as a soup. The traditional Hakka version includes tofu cubes stuffed with minced meat (usually pork), herbs, then fried or sometimes braised. Variations may include condiments like eggplants, shiitake mushrooms, and bitter melon stuffed with meat paste.”

“Rice vermicelli, also called rice sticks or rice noodles, are thin, white noodles made from rice flour and water. They are commonly used in Asian dishes like stir-fries, salads, soups, and desserts. Naturally gluten-free and low in fat, rice vermicelli can be a healthy choice, especially when combined with vegetables and lean proteins. They provide a good source of carbohydrates for energy.”

I have written down the recipe of Malaysian Hakka yong tofu for you. I didn’t Drumsticks and prawn heads stock. I use bought vegetables stock. My comfort warming lunch is healthy, spicy, and delicious. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

Malaysian Hakka yong tofu

750 g fish paste
600 g pork minced
1 1/2 heaped teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
freshly ground white pepper
10 pieces square firm tofu, cut half diagonally, make a small slit on the cut side, dig out and keep the flesh
10 pieces tau foo pok (deep fried tofu balls), cut half diagonally, make a small slit on the cut side, dig out and keep the flesh
3 medium long eggplant, slice at an angle, slice horizontally almost to the edge
3 small bitter gourd, remove seeds and slice at an angle
about 3 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
a small bowl of salted water
oil for frying

Rice vermicelli noodles soup

1 block of bee hoon (rice vermicelli)
1 bunch bok choy, hard stem removes and cut into bite size
350 ml vegetables stock, or more
1 Tsp oil
1 Tsp minced garlic
hot water, soaked bee hoon

Method

Do one day in advance or in the morning Malaysian Hakka yong tofu

In a small cup, mix the salt with the water well. Set aside the salted water. Meanwhile, add about 1/3 of the salted water, firm tofu, and tau foo pok flesh, along with a dash of pepper to the minced pork and paste; continue stirring the minced pork and paste to mix well until the salted water is used up. Refrigerate the mixture of minced pork and paste with cling film to harden it a bit for 1-2 hours. Then prepare other items for stuffing.

When time up, bring paste and minced pork to room temperature, use a teaspoon or wash hands use fingers to stuff the tofu (be extra gentle with this one), fried tofu pok and vegetables. The amount of paste to use varies, bitter gourd uses up more filling. Clean up the edges and smooth out the paste with some salted water. (Avoid overstuffing the tofu and vegetables as they may tear/break during frying).

In a large wok, heat up oil over medium heat and fry the stuffed items by batches, starting with the vegetables and ending with the fresh tofu. Lay the stuffing side down to cook the mince/paste, then flip over and around to cook the vegetable/tofu, about 7-9 minutes each side as meat cooks slower than just fish. The tau foo pok is already cooked, this will take the shortest time.

Ensure oil is hot enough for deep frying to avoid oil-clogged results. Drain the fried items on kitchen towels before transferring them to the serving platter. Set aside if making overnight until cool enough to put in fridge. If doing in the morning, warmed up before adding to bee hoon.

Cook the bee hoon, vegetables stock and bok choy

Bring kettle to boil and open bee hoon packet and put in a basin. When water boiled, pour into bee hoon to softened and then drain. Set aside. In a pot, pour warmed up vegetables stock. Once the stock is boiled, add in 1 Tsp oil, 1 Tsp minced garlic, and bok choy. Cook bok choy stems first for 5-7 minutes. Then the leaves for 3-5 minutes. Once done, transfer bok choy and vegetables stock to the bowl with bee hoon; give a couple of stirs.

Warmed up Malaysian Hakka yong tofu in the microwave for 7-10 minutes from fridge; if yong tofu is thawed on the bench; microwave for 5-7 minutes. Spoon Malaysian Hakka yong tofu to the bee hoon bok choy bowl. Then using a clean dry spoon; spoon the XO chili sauce. Place it onto the top of yong tofu. Enjoy with a hot cup of OO long Chinese tea!!!

Note: You can just use pork ribs instead of vegetables stock. Or just use Drumsticks and prawn heads stock or prawn heads stock. But you have to do them first before you add your bee hoon and Malaysian Hakka yong tofu. You can use chicken meat, prawns, squids instead of Malaysian Hakka yong tofu. You can use koay teow alone or Hokkien mee or have it with rice instead of bee hoon.

https://helenscchin.com/2017/06/26/yong-tofu-bee-hoon-soup-with-xo-chili-sauce/

For my Yong tofu koay teow and vermicelli noodles soup:

https://helenscchin.com/2022/06/16/yong-tofu-koay-teow-and-vermicelli-noodles-soup/

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